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2 Responses to “Playboy – April 1961”

Well put! I’m obsessed with this cover too. Surely feminists today would see a message of bondage by the larger male, represented by the diminutive femlin wrapped up in the tie of a man she evidently idolizes. Nevertheless, I have analyzed many of the Playboy covers, mostly the vintage ones ’53-’72 and I can’t come up with one that I prefer more than April ’61. It is joyous, yet subdued. The pastel colors are gentle and compatible. The balance, left to right, amongst title logo, headlines and art are ideal. In short, it is a masterpiece that could hang next to the Mona Lisa.